Rock Types

Tectonic Setting

Subduction zoneContinental crust (> 25 km)

Population

Within 5 kmWithin 10 kmWithin 30 kmWithin 100 km

0
0
151
13,636

Geological Summary

The Payún Matrú volcanic field in Argentina includes a massive hawaiian-style shield volcano that lies 530 km from the oceanic trench. The 8 x 10 km alkaline caldera of Cerro Payún Matrú was formed after about 168,000 years ago. The high point of the massif, Cerro Payen stratovolcano, was constructed on the SW flank of the shield. The Pleistocene Pampas Onduladas pahoehoe lava flow traveled 181 km, Earth's longest known Quaternary lava flow. Post-caldera basaltic eruptions produced more than 300 eruptive centers, mostly along E-W-trending fissures that extend across the entire shield volcano. Fluid aa lava flows from a youthful concentration of vents on the W flank known as Los Volcanes traveled more than 10 km. Other vent clusters of the 5200 sq km volcanic field are found on the lower NE and southern flanks, and a lava flow from Volcán Santa María on the NW flank traveled 15 km to the NE. At least 30 trachyandesitic lava domes and basaltic lava flows were erupted contemporaneously with the basaltic fissure eruptions. The Puente and Chapua volcanic units east of the main shield and south of the Ondulas flow are considered part of the field. Oral traditions note that native tribes were present at the time of the latest eruption.

References

The following references have all been used during the compilation of data for this volcano, it is not a comprehensive bibliography.

This compilation of synonyms and subsidiary features may not be comprehensive. Features are organized into four major categories: Cones, Craters, Domes, and Thermal Features. Synonyms of features appear indented below the primary name. In some cases additional feature type, elevation, or location details are provided.

Cones

Feature Name

Feature Type

Elevation

Latitude

Longitude

Agua de Torres

Pyroclastic cone

Agua Poca

Vent

Aguila, El

Pyroclastic cone

Amarillo

Pyroclastic cone

Blanca, La

Pyroclastic cone

Chato

Pyroclastic cone

Chato Segundo

Pyroclastic cone

Chivo, del

Pyroclastic cone

Corrales, Los

Pyroclastic cone

Diaz, De

Pyroclastic cone

Escorial

Pyroclastic cone

Huanul

Vent

Jagüel del Moro, Loma

Shield volcano

Laguna, De la

Vent

Lindero, El

Pyroclastic cone

Morado

Pyroclastic cone

Morados Grandes, Los

Cone

36° 24' 0" S

69° 6' 0" W

Nariz, La

Cone

36° 24' 0" S

69° 9' 0" W

Negra, La

Pyroclastic cone

Negro

Pyroclastic cone

Nido, Del

Pyroclastic cone

Nire Co

Pyroclastic cone

Oscuro, El

Pyroclastic cone

Parva, La

Vent

Payún, Cerro
Payen, Cerro
Payún Liso

Stratovolcano

3796 m

36° 30' 51" S

69° 17' 9" W

Peludo, El

Pyroclastic cone

Pozo, El

Pyroclastic cone

Puntudo

Pyroclastic cone

Rial

Pyroclastic cone

Santa María, Volcán

Cone

36° 18' 6" S

69° 19' 12" W

Tapa

Vent

Tordillo

Pyroclastic cone

Yegua, La

Pyroclastic cone

Craters

Feature Name

Feature Type

Elevation

Latitude

Longitude

Payun Matru

Caldera

Photo Gallery

The 3680-m-high Cerro Payún Matru volcanic complex in Argentina includes an 8 x 10 km wide caldera that cuts an alkaline shield volcano. Post-caldera basaltic eruptions produced more than 150 eruptive centers, including lava domes and pyroclastic cones. The E-W-trending fissures that extend across the entire shield volcano produced numerous youthful-looking lava flows visible in this NASA Space Shuttle image. A lava flow from Volcán Santa María that traveled 15 km to the NE is prominent at the top of the image.

WOVOdat is a database of volcanic unrest; instrumentally and visually recorded changes in seismicity, ground deformation, gas emission, and other parameters from their normal baselines. It is sponsored by the World Organization of Volcano Observatories (WOVO) and presently hosted at the Earth Observatory of Singapore.

EarthChem develops and maintains databases, software, and services that support the preservation, discovery, access and analysis of geochemical data, and facilitate their integration with the broad array of other available earth science parameters. EarthChem is operated by a joint team of disciplinary scientists, data scientists, data managers and information technology developers who are part of the NSF-funded data facility Integrated Earth Data Applications (IEDA). IEDA is a collaborative effort of EarthChem and the Marine Geoscience Data System (MGDS).

Using infrared satellite Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data, scientists at the Hawai'i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, University of Hawai'i, developed an automated system called MODVOLC to map thermal hot-spots in near real time. For each MODIS image, the algorithm automatically scans each 1 km pixel within it to check for high-temperature hot-spots. When one is found the date, time, location, and intensity are recorded. MODIS looks at every square km of the Earth every 48 hours, once during the day and once during the night, and the presence of two MODIS sensors in space allows at least four hot-spot observations every two days. Each day updated global maps are compiled to display the locations of all hot spots detected in the previous 24 hours. There is a drop-down list with volcano names which allow users to 'zoom-in' and examine the distribution of hot-spots at a variety of spatial scales.

Middle InfraRed Observation of Volcanic Activity (MIROVA) is a near real time volcanic hot-spot detection system based on the analysis of MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) data. In particular, MIROVA uses the Middle InfraRed Radiation (MIR), measured over target volcanoes, in order to detect, locate and measure the heat radiation sourced from volcanic activity.